246 CREEPER. 



before black ; beneath these violet purple ; beyond this a deep purple 

 band, separating the parts above from the belly, which is dusky 

 brown ; at the bend of the wing a tuft of yellow feathers ; tail black, 

 the feathers margined and tipped with ferruginous ; legs black. 



37.— CRIMSON-BELLIED CREEPER. 



Certhia coccinigastra, Ind. Orn. Sup. xxxv. 



Crimson-bellied Creeper, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 164. Shaiv's Zool. viii. 216. 



LENGTH five inches and a half. Bill black ; head, neck, and 

 breast, most brilliant amethystine purple, mixed on the breast with 

 vermilion red, forming a kind of band ; belly black ; vent and under 

 tail coverts glossy purplish blue black; upper parts of the neck, 

 lesser wing coverts, back, rump, upper and under tail coverts green 

 gold, very bright and glossy; the rest of the wing, and tail greenish 

 black ; two or three of the outer feathers fringed outwardly with 

 green gold ; on each side of the neck, under the wing, a tuft of fine 

 yellow ; wings black. 



Inhabits Africa; a fine specimen is in my own collection, in 

 which the upper tail coverts, reach near three-fourths on the tail ; 

 but in one in the possession of Lord Stanley, they extend quite to the 

 end, so as to wholly hide it; the quills reach three-fourths on the tail. 



